Exercising device



April 1943- E. LE ROY JONES, 3D 2,315,485

EXERC IS ING DEVICE Filed May 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet.l

April 1943- E. LE ROY JONES, 30 2,315,485

EXERCIS ING DEVICE Filed May 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q ax amen 00 a Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EKERCISING DEVECE Edward Le Roy Jones, HI, Tucson, Ariz.

Application May 31, 1941, Serial No. 396,134

1 Claim.

My invention relates to exercising machines and has as one of the principal objects thereof the provision of an exercising machine equipped with means for supporting the body in a manner whereby the leg muscles, especially the calf muscles, may be vigorously exercised and thus strengthened.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing described character equipped with means whereby the degree of effort required for operating the machine may be varied in accordance with the desires of the user.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction, durable in use, eflicient in operation and economical in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the arms for supporting the tension roller.

In practising my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, I provide an elongated base 5 adapted to be supported on a floor or the like and which base is fashioned with upwardly extending side flanges 6 formed at their ends with vertically disposed bearings l. Disposed superjacent the ends of the base and between the flanges 5 are a pair of transverse front and rear rollers 8 equipped with trunnions 9 rotatably journaled in the bearings l, Trained about said rollers 8 is an endless belt Ill, the latter being constructed of flexible material, for instance, canvas or the like.

The rear end of the base has connected thereto the lower end of an upwardly extending sup port bar II, the upper end section of said bar inclines forwardly with respect to the base and is formed with a vertically disposed depending end to which is secured a pad l2 constituting a shoulder rest. The upper end section of the bar H has connected thereto the intermediate section of an inverted substantially V-shaped brace I3, the latter having its free ends connected to the side flanges 6 of said base as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

Journaled in the flanges 6, prejacent the rear roller 8, is a transverse shaft 14 having its ends connected to the lower ends of a pair of spaced upwardly and forwardly extending arms IS, the latter being formed with elongated slots [6 between their ends. The upper ends of the arms l5 are formed with depending portions H in which are rotatably mounted trunnions l8 carried by a tension roller l9, the latter being disposed transversely of the lower run of the belt ill and engaging the underface of said lower run.

The flanges 6, interjacent the shaft M and roller [9, have pivoted thereto the lower ends of L-shaped brackets 29, the latter being formed at their upper ends with right angularly disposed sections 2! each fashioned with an opening 22 through which slidably extends the threaded shank of a bolt 23. The bolts extend through the elongated slots it of the adjacent arms l5 and are provided on their lower ends with heads each supporting a washer 24. Similar Washers 25 are sleeved on the bolts and engage the lower faces of the arms Hi. The bolts have sleeved thereon, between the washers 2:1 and 25, coil springs 26 engaging the washers and coacting therewith to urge the arms l5 upwardly towards the sections 2| of the brackets 2B. The upper ends of the bolts have threaded thereon thumb nuts 21 engaging the upper faces of the sections 2| and coacting with the latter, upon rotation of the nuts wih respect to the bolts, to raise or lower the arms iii to vary the tension of the belt l9 through the medium of the roller l9.

In operation, the user stands upon the belt l6, adjacent the rear roller 8, leaning slightly backward with his back against the pad l2 whereupon he operates the belt lil over the rollers by a backward pushing motion of the feet and legs on the belt. If he so desires, he may grip the braces l3 with his hands for assistance in maintaining the inclined position against the cushion. By adjusting the thumb nuts and related parts, the belt is tensioned in a manner to require the desired degree of effort on the part of the user to effect its operation over the rollers thus exercising and. strengthening the leg muscles, especially those of the calves.

Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully explain the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and subcombinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in various forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In an exercising device, an elongated horizontally disposed base, an endless tread belt mounted on said base and having one run thereof positioned to be engaged by feet of a person in a substantially standing position, a force res'isting member secured to one end of the base and equally spaced from the sides of said base and extending upwardly from the base and bent to incline upwardly and over the upper run of the belt and terminating in a vertically depending portion located below shoulder height of the person, a cushion carried by said depending portion to be engaged by the person at shoulder height causing said person to assume an inclined position from a perpendicular standing position to permit the person by moving the feet in step by step movement on the upper run of the belt to exercise leg muscles and muscles of the body from the shoulders downwardly, and an inverted substantially V-shaped brace secured to said member above the lower end of the depending portion and having the ends thereof secured on opposite sides of the base locating said brace in a position to be gripped by the persons hands for assisting the person in sustaining the inclined position against the cushion.

EDWARD LE ROY JONES, III. 

